A statement written by FLUX, a feminist student group at Sara Lawerence College, after South Dakota banned the right for women to have an abortion and the possiblity of Roe V Wade being overturned.
A Call For Solidarity In Resistance To South Dakota‘s Abortion Ban
On Monday March 6th, 2006, governor Mike Rounds jeopardized the health and safety of the women of South Dakota by signing an unconstitutional law that criminalized abortion within the state. This ban outlaws all abortions, including cases of rape and incest, the only exception being when a woman’s life is in danger. The intention of this ban is to bring forward the issue of abortion to the Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 victory that protects a woman’s right to choose. Banning abortions does not stop the termination of pregnancies, but forces women to resort to unsafe methods to retain control over their fertility. What we believed was a permanent protection of our human rights is under siege.
This letter is a call for all people(shocked, appalled, disheartened and enraged(to join us in organized resistance against this attack on women’s bodies. Although Planned Parenthood and other organizations are working hard to protect our legal right to choose we must contribute our individual voices. We must come together to speak out against bureaucratic control over the most personal and private decision a woman can make. For the women of South Dakota, we must join together in solidarity to rise up against this assault on women’s bodies and our communities. A number of other states including, Mississippi, Ohio, Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky are planning similar attacks on the rights of their citizens. This is a national state of emergency concerning women’s rights. We urge you to sign this pledge and commit to the fight that protects a woman’s right to choose.
We believe that in unity we have the capability to initiate change and stop this campaign. We know that when all our voices combine, we will not be ignored. We will be empowered through each other and with each other. By voicing our opinions to our elected officials and showing support for national organizations such as Planned Parenthood, NARAL and NOW we can prove that a movement is building. We ask you to start today by initiating dialogues about the implications of South Dakota and the future of human rights in the United States.
We will be sending these pledges to the only active abortion clinic in South Dakota to fuel the movement for national resistance.
Please sign this pledge in solidarity and support of what affects us all.
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED PLEDGE TO:– Remain Informed
– Raise Awareness
– Raise Our Voices
and
– Come Together to Fight, Organize and Protest